Athletics select LHP Gage Jump with the 73rd overall pick in 2024 MLB Draft
Already recovered from Tommy John, Jump has the arsenal and command to become a solid major league starter.
With their second round pick, 40th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft, the Oakland Athletics selected third baseman Tommy White out of LSU. Oakland will likely use some of the savings from Nick Kurtz to sign White.
Bio
DOB: 04/12/2003
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 197 lbs
AD
Bats/Throws: L/L
Rankings
MLB Pipeline: 62
The Athletic: 68
CBS News: 50
ESPN: 48
Baseball America: 57
Introducing Gage Jump
As with their second-round pick, the Athletics reached upwards with their competitive balance pick and secured a strong talent in starter Gage Jump. The 21-year-old lefty gets the honor of being Oakland’s top pitcher in the draft after the front office took Nick Kurtz and Tommy White in the first two rounds. Jump’s offerings include a 92-95 mph fastball that hitters have a trouble picking up, as well as a deep upper-70s curveball and a mid-80s slurve. He also has a changeup in his bag but has rarely used it thus far. There are definitely injury concerns given that he’s on the smaller side for a starting prospect and has already undergone Tommy John surgery. His short arm action also scares However, he had a strong comeback season after transferring to LSU, putting up a 3.47 ERA with 101 strikeouts and only 22 walks over 83 innings.
Gage Jump had a strong showing in his return to the mound, firing 1 perfect inning against VMI in which he notched 4 Ks.
— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) February 20, 2024
Relied heavily on his FB which was exclusively 95-96. Shape was great; flashed ample carry through the zone and averaged almost 20" of IVB from a slightly… pic.twitter.com/O9T5TZ2ntK
First Reaction
David Forst is cooking. After grabbing two high-upside hitters with his first couple of picks, he was able to close out his Day 1 haul with a likely mid-rotation starter. Jump’s size and delivery remind me a bit of Sonny Gray — wishful thinking, I know — though his arsenal isn’t as elite as the All-Star’s was entering the 2011 draft. As long as he stays healthy, Jump’s floor should be decently high as he has the combination of stuff and command needed to move through the system. I take it as a positive that he’s already gone through the seemingly inevitable Tommy John ordeal as he’ll hopefully get to focus on development rather than rehabbing. He’ll instantly enter the conversation for the A’s second-best pitching prospect behind Luis Morales and could solidify that position with a strong rookie showing.